“I told these kids, less than one percent of high school athletes get the chance to play in a state championship, let alone two,” Flint Creek head coach Mike Cutler said. “(Both titles) were extremely special. Two different teams, and we’re proud of both of them. This one is as special as the one last year. That’s how we look at it. We’re awfully proud of our Flint Creek communities, Drummond and Philipsburg, and our crowd is fantastic. And here we are, champions again.”

The loss marks a bitter end to the most successful season since the 1960s for the Great Falls Central program, which last competed for a state title in 1965 after winning its lone championship in 1962.

Jaxon Lee runs it in from 10yds out. 2pt failed. Ball came out at the end but they’re saying it crossed plane first. 22-7 Flint Creek on Central 5:57 half #mtscorespic.twitter.com/HRpf3W5neS

Second-year head coach Greg Horton said he was proud of the grit the Mustangs showed this season. Central (9-2) rebounded from a 34-0 loss to Shelby in the Northern C title game on Oct. 12, ripping off three straight playoff wins including a 28-18 victory over a powerful Fairview squad last week.

“The boys could’ve hung it up (after the Shelby game), they could’ve quit, they could’ve been individuals, but they didn’t,” Horton said. “They fought through, they had a hell of a playoff run. I’m proud that we got to this moment. Hats off to Flint and coach Cutler. They beat us in every facet of the game today. I just don’t want to take anything from my boys. They battled to be here, and I’m proud of them.”

Lee put the Titans on the board in the final minute of the first period after an early stalemate, ripping off a 38-yard run to pay dirt to convert on fourth and short.

Central answered on the first play of the second quarter, as Noah Ambuehl hit a streaking Luke Marmon for a 55-yard touchdown to cut it to 8-7.

The Mustangs managed just one more score for the remainder, a 23-yard connection between the University of Montana commit Ambuehl and Drew Newman in the second quarter. The Titans held the potent Mustang ground attack to just 103 yards on 35 attempts, led by Ambuehl with 49.

Combined with four total turnovers, the Mustangs were put into a hole they could not dig out of.

“As fancy as you want to be in the game of football, you still have to own the line of scrimmage and you have to be physical,” Horton said. “I’d say today, they (were more physical). They owned it. We talked all week about how we have to tackle well, and (Lee) is a special football player, and we didn’t tackle very well. And offensively, I thought we left some things out there, but not enough to score 50 points.”

An exceptional 61-yard touchdown run by Cutler late in the first half put Flint Creek up a pair of scores at 28-14 to immediately answer Newman’s touchdown reception. Lee capped the Titans’ opening drive of the third with a 26-yard scamper, and Colby Manley added a one-yard touchdown run following an Ambuehl fumble inside the five-yard line two drives later.